A Gathering and Two Visits to the Park

Corona de Tucson

March 2, 2023

Sunday night's clear sky and sunset after a snowy, windy start to the day sure was nice to see.

The following days warmed nicely and Tuesday, I had a case of cabin fever.  It was off to Saguaro National Park East (SNP) for a needed dose of sunshine. We have hiked there many times, and never grow tired of the trails or the views or the desert plants.  

  

Wednesday a day trip took us southeast about an hour from home to Dragoon Road. 

It was a special day...

The stars finally aligned and we had a wonderful gathering at Janna and Mike's who live in Pearce.  Sue and Dave, Pam and John, and Jodee and Bill...folks we call good friends, folks we met years ago, and folks we have wonderful memories with from days when we were full-time rollin'...were all there.  It's like Sue said, we do stay in touch thru our blogs, but catching up face to face is way better and much more fun. Of course, no gathering is quite complete without good food to share.  The second we walked into Janna and Mike's beautiful home, the mouthwatering aroma from a brisket Janna had put in the over earlier filled the air. Mexican cornbread (Pam), cowboy beans (Jodee) , slaw (Sue), and macaroni salad (me) sure made for a very tasty lunch!  Top that off with chocolate chip cream cheese bars (Pam) and it was lunch "fit for a king" as my grandma would say.       

Mike, Janna and Emmi

Funny stories, lots and lots of laughter, reminiscing, and plans for the future have a way of making the hours seem like minutes.  And just like that it was time to head home.  Thank you Janna and Mike and Emmi!

As predicted, the forecast for late Wednesday afternoon called for strong winds with a winter watch arriving in the wee hours of the morning.  We have become accustomed to the winds here, but always take notice when the forecast calls for strong winds.  Strong winds are usually 40+ mph and sure enough, Wednesday was no exception at 55 mph.  And sure enough, when we woke up today, there was snow on the ground...4 inches of snow.  That was the most snow at one time so far and the third snow for the season.  Today's adventure found us back at SNP East for an auto hike.  It was a sight to behold !

Our family back in South Carolina and North Carolina are in shock !  We are in shock ! This is the desert you know.  The ranger at the park says these wet, cold winters are on an 8-10 year cycle.  Our first winter in Tucson was in 2013 and in all the years after that we have not experienced anything like this winter.  It isn't a complaint...we are way happy to see the desert get so much water after so many years of going without.  And fingers crossed for lots of wildflowers and cacti full of blooms.  While we were there, there was a mix of dark gray skies, light gray skies, and blue skies with white clouds.    

The eight mile one-way loop was closed so we drove to the picnic area with stops at pull-outs along the way.  

Fingers crossed, spring is just around the corner...

Back at the oasis,  Sally still brings a toy to supper...

waits patiently for her bowl...

and keeps it close.  

Dover is always near by...

    And Jack hones in on his killer instincts. 

The torch cactus is growing hair...

We had icicles...

and snow.

The sweet little goldfinch clean out their feeder everyday !

 And sunsets are beautiful...

Wednesday sky...6:15 pm

Until next time,  

HAPPY TRAILS !

Family

Corona de Tucson

July 23, 2022

On Wednesday (July 13) our second oldest son, Joe, and our sweet, daughter-in-law, Jena, arrived at Tucson International Airport all the way from South Carolina with grand babies, Felix and Edith, in tow for seven glorious nights.  

Felix (will be 6 years old July 30 and going to first grade) and Edith (will be 2 years old Oct. 1)

Joe and Jena

We were in the middle of an excessive heat warning, but no one let that interfere with our fun...just being together and having a great time.  I like the way Joe and Jena go with the flow...the flow being Felix and Edith.  Getting out early on these rather hot days is crucial.  Some days we were out the door very early and other days it just didn't happen.  It had been just under two years since we had seen Joe, Jena and Felix...and Edith was not born yet. 

Day 1:

Felix and Jena are faithful followers of the blog and know all about saguaros. Seeing them in person was at the top of the list.  The Sonoran Desert Museum was the destination for the day. But not before an Arizona sunrise, a good stretch...

  ...and a hearty breakfast.

The reptile exhibit is close to the entrance and our adventure began there.  Unlike their Gigi, these two like creatures that slither, creep and crawl.

The museum is full of things for little ones to enjoy.  We dug for fossils...

 explored a bat cave...

sat quietly and watched the hummingbirds...

meandered along the path enjoying the landscape...

    

played at Pack Rat Playhouse...

perused the aquarium...

had a picnic and popsicles...

and crashed !

We oohed and aahed and admired the saguaros and other cacti, but the spinytail iguanas stole the show.  They are not native, but were introduced to the museum in the 1970s.  They have not expanded/survived beyond the musuem's grounds.

   

Day 2:

Friday was a sleep in and lazy morning.  Our destinations for the day were Bricks and Minifigs and Mildred and Dildred...both toy stores.  Joe and Felix are LEGO enthusiasts to say the least.  Bricks and Minifigs is a one-stop aftermarket LEGO store.  They buy, sell and trade anything LEGO.  

Bins are filled with all shapes, sizes and colors of bricks with lots of specialty pieces included in the mix.  They are sold by the tub or bag.  

Joe and I quickly learned this is serious...we all pitched in to find pieces we thought would be useful and fun to build a truck.  

  

Mildred and Dildred has been our go to place when shopping for the kiddos.  We can always find something unique there and they ship.  

 

That afternoon was pool time...

and LEGO time for Joe and Felix.

Joe's truck

Felix's helicopter and truck

Day 3: 

We were up and out the door at 6:30 for a walk on the golf cart path in our neighborhood.  

Then it was off to the Pima Air and Space Museum.

The afternoon was spent mastering bubbles in the backyard.

Day 4:

Felix really wanted to go to Tombstone and Sunday was the day.

We enjoyed the show at the OK Corral, meandering the streets, lunch at Big Nose Kates, ice cream, and a real dust storm.  Felix might just be a cowboy at heart...his cowboy hat and boots didn't fit in their suitcase to travel to Tucson so we improvised at Big Nose Kates.

Day 5:

We spent Monday morning visiting with an extra cup of coffee, catching up on things around the house, Jena did laundry, and we made a grocery store run.  The plan for the day was lunch...you guessed it, El Charro.  What a nice surprise to learn that children 10 and under eat free. 

Afterwards, we spent an hour or so strolling down historic 4th Avenue.  We perused (and enjoyed the AC) thru several stores.  Pop-Cycle (over 100 local artists with a theme paying homage to Tucson and the west), Del Sol (American Indian pottery and jewelry, hand-woven rugs, take home trinkets, and much more), and Generation Cool (vintage pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s).  Generation Cool was definitely a favorite...especially for son Joe.  He has every single action figure he owned as a youngster from Star Wars to GI Joe to Batman and Robin and more.

After naps, we played Prickly Pairs (It's just like Go Fish, but the cards are pictures of assorted cacti and instead of saying "Go Fish" you say "Take a Hike"), and put together a puzzle. 

Day 6:

Up before the sun...because no trip to Tucson is complete without seeing Saguaro National Park.  We chose the closer to home East/Rincon Mountain District area.  It was a nice drive on Cactus Forest Drive with a couple of stops.  First, the Nature Trail (tarmacked for the stroller).  

Second stop was Javalina Rocks for some rock scrambling and amazing views. 

Before heading home, we made a stop at the Visitor Center.

After dinner, we enjoyed the late afternoon glow and sunset at Gates Pass.

 

It's no surprise our week flew by.  Lots of laughs, sharing, adventures, more meals at the big table, more pictures than I can count, and memories to last at least until another visit.  

We sure do love these little munchkins !

Until next time, may your dreams come true...

your goals be reached...

and your adventures be fun.

Share the love...

and always share the rocker !

HAPPY TRAILS !